Movie Story

October 1 is a 2014 Nigerian dark psychological thriller film written by Tunde Babalola, produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan. It stars Sadiq Daba, Kayode Olaiya, David Bailie, Kehinde Bankole, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, Nick Rhys, Kunle Afolayan, Femi Adebayo, Bimbo Manuel, Ibrahim Chatta and introducing Demola Adedoyin; it also features special appearance from Deola Sagoe. The film, which is set in Colonial Nigeria, narrates the story of Danladi Waziri (Sadiq Daba), a police officer from Northern Nigeria who is posted to a remote town of Akote in Western Nigeria to investigate the frequent female murder cases in the community, and have the mystery solved before the Nigerian flag is raised on October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day.

The lead character of the film, Dan Waziri, particularly posed a challenge during casting, as the director had a particular look he wants for the character; Daba was eventually selected for the role after a series of research, and thereby marked his return to the big screen after over a 10-year absence from the industry. The film received sponsorships from the Lagos State Government, Toyota Nigeria, Elizade Motors, Guinness and Sovereign Trust Insurance. It was shot in Lagos and Ondo State for a period of over forty days using RED cameras,[5] after four months of preproduction. Production design for the film was done by Pat Nebo, who has also worked with Afolayan in his previous film projects; he and his team made almost half of the props used in the film, while the other props such as television sets from the ’50s, shotguns and antique vehicles, were acquired and refurbished for the film. Golden Effects also partnered with Haute Couture to provide primordial costumes used in the film.

After several release postponements, the film had a number of special screenings and eventually premiered on 28 September 2014; its premiere which was tagged “’60s”, required guests to dress in native costumes and hairstyles from the 1960s. The premiere also provided tours of sets, and also displayed the props and costumes used in the film. The film was met with positive critical reception, mostly praised for its production design, cinematography and its exploration of powerful themes; which include tribalism, western imperialism, paedophilia, homosexuality, Nigeria’s unification and also establishing a strong connection between western culture and the cause of present-day Boko Haram insurgency.